2026 Trust in Practice Summit

This year, the Alliance brought together nearly 300 civic leaders, practitioners, change makers, community builders, and funders from across the country for our second annual Trust in Practice Summit.

We wanted to create a safe space for “trust-builders” — leaders whose work is rooted in building relationships, bridging divides, fostering belonging, and strengthening community.

Together, we engaged in cross-sector collaboration, learned from promising models, and explored how trust-building initiatives can achieve greater scale and impact. We also celebrated the inaugural Trust in Practice Awardees — collaborations of nonprofits partnering on new initiatives to strengthen connection and trust within and across communities.

What we learned.

• Trust is built with people, not for them.
• Trust is cultivated through connection, belonging, and sustained human relationships.
• The most powerful insights and innovations are coming from neighborhoods themselves, where people are already building trust in practice.
• Trust grows when we go first.

Explore more of what we learned at the 2026 Trust in Practice Summit.